During the heyday of the home console and PC gaming in the late '90s and early 2000s, the term "gamer" held a well-known stereotype. Gamers were lazy, messy homebodies who weren't skilled socially. Characterized by fictional characters like Mike Teevee in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," teens who liked video games were the poster children for those concerned about new-age technology.
Video games were often villainized because parents believed violent video games caused children to act violently. These ideas came to a summit in 1999 when it was revealed that the two teenagers responsible for the Columbine shooting were 'preparing' for their massacre using first-person shooting games. After that, it was rare for parents to think video games were anything but evil.
Although there had been family consoles like the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube, the majority of popular games in 2005 were racing and fighting games that focused on violence and edginess. Because of this marketing, gaming became the natural pastime for teen boys in the early 2000s, while other demographics strayed away from game consoles.
In 2006, however, the Nintendo Wii proved itself to be more suitable for families than the Xbox or Playstation. Commercials presented parents and grandparents having just as much fun on the Wii as the children. With this marketing, parents were more eager to buy the Wii than any other console, causing the system to sell out a day after its release.
The games were kid-friendly in terms of content, graphics and ease of play. Nothing about the Wii was graphic or explicit, which cannot be said about all previous PC or Playstation games. The Wii was also more suitable for multiplayer games up to four players, allowing families to play together.
The motion controls on the Wii required players to use their bodies to play rather than just pushing buttons. Part of this development was to advance game controls, but motion controls also encouraged kids to be more active while gaming. Instead of sitting on the couch to play a game, kids who wanted to play Wii Fit or Wii Sports had to move to have fun.
Wii Sports was released at launch and came with the console. Luckily for consumers, this game was not just a boring demo game or an underdeveloped freebie; Wii Sports would become the most influential game from the entire catalog.
Wii Sports had impeccable multiplayer options, with four players being able to play tennis, bowling or golf. The game also allowed players to practice their skills and develop strategies in a level-based single player mode.
Not only that, but players could actually play as themselves, in the form of Miis, rather than as random characters. Wii Sports was included with the console because it perfectly showcased the Wiis potential, combining customizable Miis with active gaming.
Aside from the content, a major selling point for the Wii was its reasonable price. At its launch, the Wii cost $250 with the remote and free game; competing consoles from Xbox and Playstation in the same year cost $300-$600 for just the console and controller. This feature of the Wii turned out to be more useful than developers originally planned for.
During the 2008 recession, the president of Nintendo stated that the company had not seen a negative impact in sales despite the severity of the crisis. Because the Wii was so affordable and was adaptable to more families, parents bought the console for their kids in place of other entertainment devices.
The Wii was revolutionary for its time, as it was the only easily adaptable console that interested all kinds of people. Upon its release, Nintendo revolutionized gaming both with its controls and with its basic, user-friendly system. By 2010, the Wii had helped destigmatize gaming and garnered a roaring popularity that still lives on.
Kenzie Shuman is a sophomore studying Journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kenzie know by emailing her at ms667222@ohio.edu or messaging her on Instagram @zieshuman.
